


Gilbert of Bookcase Mazes

by babbley



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-09
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-24 05:20:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15623445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babbley/pseuds/babbley
Summary: Throughout Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne is writing letters to Gilbert about her life. He replies in turn. A short letter written in the middle of his tests.





	Gilbert of Bookcase Mazes

Dear Anne,                                                                                                                                                 

Your letter procures to me profound solacement in this time of afflictions to my person. Never before have I been indebted to a pen, so I request that you do tell your nib that its performance has calmed my uneasy nerves with tenderness, as each syllable tugs a heartstring like a harp, which I am now inclined to tell you to have little to with the matters of the heart. As a medical student, Anne, I am obligated to inform you that the heart is a muscle responsible for pumping blood around the body. Often I wonder what fairy-stories you would tell about the biology I am learning, but I have already come to the conclusion that the heart pumps blood around the body because the eyes are infatuated by each other, yet they cannot see their partner even if they cross until they become dizzy, so all they have is blood to keep them together. It’s romantic, isn’t it?

I made the silly blunder of opening your letter in a lecture the other day. During the night I poured over it between the chapters of my readings, drinking it in. Anne, tests are around the corner here and the weight of them makes me wonder if Atlas is still carrying the sky, or if he slipped me the burden while I was not looking. The letter got mixed in with papers of mine, and before I knew it a classmate picked the stray note off the floor for me.

His name is Jean, and he is a slimy person. You would not like him. He read your letter out loud to the room! He started on the third page and read the entire page through. A love letter, nothing of substance. Nobody said anything to me then, but the air was tense. Later other students approached me about what you had written and were so curious about our relationship. They wondered what is your name? How do you look? What are you doing with me away? Naturally, I wooed them with tales of my erudite, sprightly, tenacious fiancé. Tom swooned. Between us, I think he has impeccable taste. I shall have to approach my classmates carefully now though, they seem to feel that I am an odd man out. While they are still students, I am someone more than them. It’s not true, we’re all studying together, but until they forget about the letter I will have to speak less of home. It reminds me of that time your Rebecca Dew made the claim you flaunted your engagement ring.

Plain toast has made up most of my meals for the past week. With a stomach in knots, I can’t eat more. Once tests are over I will add strawberry jam. Until then your letter will have to be sweet enough. Winter is drier here. The season has taken a note from my toast.

Aside from the lecture hall and stuck in my notes, I have spent the past few days in our lab rooms. We are dissecting human bodies. At first, it made me want to take ill. Tom vomited as soon as he saw the first body spread out on the dissection table. I kept it down, I did not want Jean to comment. Anne, I’ve seen dead things before, but the sanitized nature of a body on a table is new. Part of me wanted to mourn for the stranger, but the student in my warned me otherwise. Dwelling on what was is meaningless, instead, I will look for ways to help others by using this stranger’s intrepid spirit to learn. In the dark lab, I also look forward to seeing you again. Maybe I’ll stick to butter on the toast from now on.

My sincerest apologies for the erratic structure of this letter. Not much as happened as of late, but what has is grating on me. Were you here you would say something soft or funny to relieve my worries. Rather than recount these difficult days, I would rather think of all the ways I love you. Still, it is wonderful to say that I love you, and know that you will think about it, too.

I do not have enough time to get into it now, but the list would include your: laughter, smile, hair, eyes, hands, spirit, attitude, diligence, patience, humour, whimsy, and much more.

Sincerely,

Gilbert

**Author's Note:**

> In this I wanted to stay more true to his voice in the books instead of either tv adaptations. He has a way with words, I hope I got it right.


End file.
